Internal-combustion engine.



c. R. EDWARDS.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE. APPLICATION FILED MAY I3. 1913. nsuswio APR. 13.1916.

1,201,163. 7 Patented Oct. 10,1916.

4 SHEETS -SHEET I.

C. R. EDWARDS.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE. APPLICATION FILED MAY 13. 1913. RENEWED APR. 13, ms.

Patented 001;. 10, 1916.

- 4 SHEETS-SHEET 2 C. R. EDWARDS. INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE. APPLICATION mm MAY I3, 1913. RENEWED APR. I3, 1916.

1,201,163. Patentd 00. 10,1916.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3- c. n. EDWARDS.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE. APPLICATION FILED MAY 13. 1913. RENEWED APR. 1;. 1910,

w @Zj M irw m: NORRIS nrrns can pnomuma. \vuumaruu. BT'E 1,201,163. Patented Oct. 10,1916. v 4 sussrs-snssr 4.

CHARLES R. EDWARDS, OF PEKIN, ILLINOIS.

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

Application filed May 13, 1913,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES R. EDWARDS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pekin, in the county of Tazewell and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in tion Engines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in internal combustion engines, and more particularly to a four-cycle engine of that type in which the inlet and exhaust is through a common port.

The object of this invention is to provide in an engine the combination of means whereby the exhaust valve is actuated to act as a governor to automatically maintain a uniform speed of operation of the engine; further to construct the engine in such a manner that, through the media of the heat generated by the exhaust, the gasolene or oil is entirely volatilized before being taken into the combustion chamber; and still fur ther to so arrange the combination that the valve-actuating means will operate the ignition system. I

' lVith these objects in view, this invention relates to still other novel features of construction and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a view in side elevation showing the valve casing in vertical section with the parts broken away more clearly to illustrate the invention; Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation from the opposite side of the engine with the cylinder shown in vertical section;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the engine; Fig. 4: is an enlarged detail sectional view to better show the arrangement of the intake valves.

As shown in the drawings, my invention is adapted for use on a stationary engine, but it is evident that the mechanism as disclosed would attain equally efficient results if employed on an engine of the type use for marine work or for motor drive'n vehides. The engine is in the present instance,

at the horieental designed to Specification of Letters Patent.

InternalC0mbus- Patented Oct. 1c, 1916.

Serial No. 767,362. Renewed April 13, 1916. Serial No. 90,976.

The base frame A has a crank shaft 1 'journaled to be turned in bearings 2, 2,

thereon. At the opposite end of the frame, a receptacle or hopper B, which may be rectangular orof other desirable configuration in side and end elevation, is mounted. A cylinder 3 ofu'sual form is cast or otherwise formed with the body-portion thereof in this receptacle and in alinement with the crank 1 of the crank shaft. A piston 4 works in the cylinder 3, and a pitman rod 5 connects the piston with the crank arm 1 The cylinder, at its forward end, has the usual explosion chamber 6 provided. The piston is fitted with piston'packing rings 7 An oil cup supplies lubricant to the interior of the cylinder, and the partsas described are of usual form. In the receptacle B, to one side of, and preferably slightly below the center of the cylinder, a valve chamber 9 is provided. This valve chamber, as better shown in Fig. 1 is located at a-point adj acent the explosion chamber and a port 10 establishes communication from the valve chamber to the explosion chamber.

A valve seat 11 is formed in the valve chamber at a point to one side of the port 10, and. beyond the valve seat an opening 12 is formed in which the one end of the exhaustspipe 13 is secured. A tubular valve stem casing 14 connects with the inner end of the valve chamber and of the receptacle B, thus forming a compartment in which the stem of the valve working in the valve seat'may be received.

The receptacle B is intended to be filled with water or other cooling liquid to prevent heating of the cylinder and other working parts, and it will be seen that the cylinder, valve chamber, and stem casing would be completely surrounded by liquid. The radiation of the heat to the liquid in that part of the receptacle will cause circulation of the liquid, which will keep the parts at a sufficiently low temperature. A valve 15 has a stem 16 extending through the valve stem casing, and the exhaust portion of the valve chamber, and, the valve is adapted to seat itself in the valve seat 11. A sprin 1? lei-received ereanath'a valve stem heyon'rfthe end of the receptacle B to hold the valve normally in a closed position, and thus cut off communication from the port 10 to the exhaust opening 12. The crank shaft 1 has the usual balance wheels 18 secured to the ends thereof, and 'a'gear wheel 19 is also secured on the shaft. A cam shaft 20 is journaled in bearings formed in the frame A, and has a gear wheel 21 secured thereon in position to mesh with the gear Wheel 19.

The proportion of the gears 19 and 20 is such that two revolutions of the crank shaft 1 are needed to make one complete revo1ution of the cam shaft 20. A rocking arm 22 is pivoted at 23 to the frame, and has the pivotal connection at 24 with the valve stem 17. A cam 25 is carried by the cam shaft 20 in position to engage with the free end of the rocking lever 22, and a friction Wheel 26 is provided at the point of contact.

The valve chamber 9 is, on its outer end, bored to receive the valve seat 27. This valve seat has a web 28 provided on its in terior, and the stem 29 of the intake valve 30 is received through this web.

A spring 31 is received around the stem of the valve, and the tension of this spring is adjusted by a nut 32. It is intended that the intake valve 30 be positioned on the opposite side' of the port 10 from the exhaust valve 15, and the operation of the intake valve is by the suction created by the proper instroke of the piston.

A valve casing 33 is secured around the open end of the valve chamber 9 by means of bolts or in any other approved manner. This valve casing is bored at 34 on its outer face to provide access to the casing, and the bore is closed by a plug 35.

On the upper side of the valve casing, an opening 35 is provided through the wall. A valve seat 37 is secured around this opening, and is provided with a web 38, in which the stem 39 of the air-intake valve 40 works. A spiral spring 41 is received around the stem 39, and a nut 42 forms a means of adjusting, the tension of this spiral spring. At one side of the valve seat 37 a fuel inlet valve 43 is positioned. The air intake valve 40 is of the bevel type, and the inlet duct 44 from the fuel supply valve opens onto the seat of the valie 40 so that when the valve is seated, the lead is closed. The fluid inlet valve is of the ordinary needle valve type, as shown at 45, and the supply of fuel can thus receive a very fine adjustment.

A stop cock 46 is connected with the fuel supply valve, and fuel supply pipe 47 connects the stop cock with the tank 48, which is shown suspended at one side of the receptacle B by straps 49, although it is evident that the fuel tank might be placed at any other position. p

The exhaust pipe '13 extends beneath the 1 66 moves to' a position that the valve casing 33, and is secured thereto by straps 50, so that the heat generated by the exhaust will be transmitted to and heat the casing; as the fuel falls in to the heated valve casing 33 it volatilizes quickly, and in case the liquid fuel should not all volatilize, a dam 51 is provided across the lower part of the valve seat 27 to prevent flooding of the engine.

To permit of greater intake of air and to relieve the pressure in the valve casing 33 should it become excessively great, openings 52 are provided through the air intake valve 40.

A governor 53 is connected to be actuated by the rotation of the crank shaft 1, and the actuation ofthe governor causes a collar 54 slidably mounted on the crank shaft to be moved to bear against a rocking arm pivoted to the frame A in position to have the collar engage with one end thereof. On an endwise adjustable bearing 59 secured to the frame, a dog 57 is pivoted to have horizontal swinging movement. This dog has an operating arm 57, and the free end of the rocking arm 55 engages with the arm 57 of the dog, thus the movement of the collar 54 permits the movement of the free end of the rocking arm 55 and of the dog 56, causing the dog to be pressed inwardly to a position to engage with the catch 58 carried by the valve stem 16.

In an engine of the four-horse-power type built as disclosed, a speed of probably 400 R. P. M. would be desirable, and when the speed has again been reduced to normal, the dog 56 is disengaged from the catch 58 and the parts are returned to their inoperative position by a spring 60. A spring contact member 61 is secured to one of the wires 62 of the ignition system, and this contact finger 61 is held by an insulating block 63 at a position to be normally engaged by the rocking lever The spring finger, however, is so positioned that as the rocking lever is moved by the cam, the contact with this lever is broken.

A link 64 is pivoted at its one end on the cam shaft 20. An insulating block 65 has a spring contact finger 66 carried thereby in position to be engaged by the cam as the operating face thereof moves due to the rotation. The wire 67 of the ignition system connects with the contact finger 66. The link 64 is free to swing around the shaft 20. A hand lever 68 is pivoted to the frame A, and is connected by an adjustable rod 69 with the free end of the link 64. By manipulatlng the hand lever 68 the contact finger cam engages w1th it at an earlier or later point in its rotation, and the spark is thus advanced or retarded. A spark plug 70 is received through the cylinder to generate a spark in the explosion chamber, and the spark plug is connected with the power generating plant, which may be of any form, by a wire 11.

The operation of the engine is as follows: The fuel stop cook 46 is opened, the needle valve 45 is presumably in a properly adjusted position. The crank shaft 1 is turned over, and on the proper instroke of the piston, the intake valve 30 and air intake valve 40 are drawn from their seats, thus permitting the passage of air from the atmosphere into the valve casing and through the port 10 into the explosion chamber. As the valve 10 is moved from its seat, the fuel lead 44: is uncovered, and some of the liquid fuel drops into the valve casing. During the turning of the crank shaft 1, the cam shaft 20 will also be rotated through the intergearing of the two shafts. The rocking arm 22 will be in contact with the spring contact finger 61, and when the cam 25 comes to a point to engage with the spring finger 66, a circuit is completed, and a spark is formed at the spark plug 70. The charge in the combustion chamber is fired, and the engine then works under normal condition, the exhaust valve being opened by the cam and rocking lever at the proper predetermined time, and the inlet valve and air inlet valves being opened by the suction created by the intake stroke of the piston. As the air inlet valve 10 is opened, the fuel drops to the floor o f the valve casing 33, and as this casing is heated by the contact of the exhaust pipe 13 therewith, the liquid is volatilized by heat. The gas thus formed is held in the valve casing, and the next intake stroke of the piston opens intake valve 30 and draws this charge in, together with a supply of fresh air, and permits further liquid fuel to drop to the bottom of the valve casing. This operation is continuous until the fuel supply is shut off or the ignition is cut out of the circuit. When the engine has attained a speed operation that is desired, the governor operates, through the connecting mechanism, the dog 56, and this dog engages with the catch 58 on the valve stem 16 when the valve has been moved to its next open position. The valve is thus held in an open position, and any suction on the intake stroke draws air through the exhaust opening, and the suction is reduced, thus preventing the opening of the intake valve 30, and the consequent supply of explosive mixture. As there is no explosion in the explosion chamber, the speed is consequently reduced, and when the normal speed is again reached, the dog is disengaged from the valve stem 16 and the exli'aust valve is again free to close, thus leaving the engine in its normal operating position, so that a charge can be drawn in on the intake stroke.

It will thus be seen that I have provided an engine which is so constructed that the intake and exhaust are through a common port, the exhaust aiding in the efiicient volatilization of the fuel supply. I have also provided means working in connection with the exhaust valve fon tnaintaining a uniform rotation of the crank shaft and the mechanism working in connection with the valve actuating means for insuring the proper firing of the exhaustive charge.

It is evident that variations might be made in the form and arrangement of the several parts of my invention from the disclosure in the drawings, and therefore I do not wish to be limited to the exact construction herein set forth, but

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In an internal combustion engine, the combination with a cylinder, apiston mounted to reciprocate therein, of a receptacle containing a cooling medium in which the cylinder is mounted, a valve chamber in com.- munication with the engine cylinder, an exhaust chamber in communication with said valve chamber into which the exhaust gases are received from the valve chamber, a valve for closing the communication between said chambers, a valve casing connected to the valve chamber, a valve for cutting off communication from the valve casing to the valve chamber, said valve casing provided with a fuel inlet and an air inlet, a valve for closing said openings, said last-mentioned valves suction-operated upon the suction stroke of the engine, said valve chamber and exhaust chamber connected to the receptacle so that they are maintained in a cool condition. I

2. In an internal combustion engine, the combination with a cylinder, a piston mounted to reciprocate therein, of a receptacle containing a cooling medium in which the cylinder is mounted, a valve chamber in communication with the engine cylinder, an exhaust chamber in communication with said valve chamber into which the exhaust gases are received from the valve chamber, a valve for closing the communication between said chambers, a valve casing connected to the valve chamber, a valve for cutting off communication from the valve casing to the valve chamber. said valve casing provided with a fuel inlet and an air inlet, a valve for closing said openings, said valve chamber and exhaust chamber connected to the receptacle so that they are maintained in a cool condition, and means for conducting the gas from the exhaust chamber beneath the valve casing for the purpose of volatilizing the fuel.

3. In an internal combustion engine, the

10 valve casing provided with a fuel inlet and an air inlet and a valve for closing said openings, said last-mentioned valves suction operated upon the suction stroke of the engine.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature, in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES R. EDWARDS.

Witnesses ELSIE ROTH SMlTH, T. N. SMITH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

